Last week - a brief review

For 'normal' business this week finished on the Thursday because along with Hadfield Councillor Vicky Mann, and Constituency Chair Alan Barrow, I am attending the Labour Party's Spring Conference in Blackpool. More update to come on this during the weekend.

Thursday evening saw a meeting of the High Peak Labour Group in Chinley, a wide range of issue's discussed mostly around budget issue's. An issue in the budget that caused a lot of concern was around one of the coalitions plans to start charging for the collection of fridge's, a service which to date has always been free, partly on the grounds on the ground of public safety as 'fridge's' can be a safety hazard when dumped.

Wednesday saw a meeting in Glossop over the current public consultation on change to the Primary Care Trust, which has one proposal from the Trent Strategic Health Authority looking at putting Glossop within a primary care trust based on a Derbyshire boundary, and one from the Greater Manchester SHA, on leaving us how we at current with Tameside and Glossop PCT.

The meeting was very well attended with just over 100 people from across Glossop attending to give there view.

The main argument in favour of it, is for a phrase called co-terminosity, basically the idea that if the health boundaries are the same of social service boundaries the services will work better together.

However amongst the arguments against it is that the system although not perfect, is working well at current, and as they say if it isn't broke don't fix it. Added to that were the views at the meeting from all the various medical professional groups saying that the support the 'status quo' and dont want to change along with a very clear view from the members of the public supporting the same view.

A key theme from the end of the meeting was that to keep Glossopdale with the best links and input to our health services, we need to stay with the Tameside and Glossop PCT, and that as many people as possible need to respond to the consultation to make that possible. Further details on how you can respond will be on the website shortly and at the next councillors surgery next Saturday.

Earlier on this week aside from ongoing concerns over forthcoming bus changes there is also still local concern over the dental service available at the clinic on Winster Mews. Basically the rumour going around at current is that the dental service will be removed.

However this is not the case, the problem at current is getting a replacement dentist, since the original one left in November, which although advertised previously they are still trying to fill the vacancy, and as such it was readvertised on the 28th January.

Further details on this will again be up on the website shortly, but should you need urgent access to a dentist in the meantime you should contact the 'In hours access service' on 07813 290 327 and they will work to get you allocated a slot with a local dentist.